Why I Oughta...

Add this front/back to the Coaster Collection here on the blog.   It was just late last month when I posted the Ted's coaster featuring a John Wayne quote .   This is the second or third time that we've been to the brewery and the beer and food were great.  I got the wings - and have added them to the [YES] column for my new app (more on that later.  Maybe.  Just maybe.) and we shared the hot pretzels, which were delicious.  We drank a flight of beers including one cider and the kids misbehaved as they always do at restaurants, amirite?!?

Due to there being a general disdain for any kind of potato chip in our household, I wasn't able to add these Rebel potato chips to the list of Michigan products that I'm now willing to purchase on our trips up to Coloma.  That list includes some soap, ice cream, hot dogs and sugar.  But I did, give it quite a long thought and wondered if I could sneak it by the Warden. These are made in Wyoming, Michigan which is just outside of Grand Rapids.  Maybe next time?

Nat picked up this bottle of Cold Brew Coffee from Uncommon Coffee Roasters when we were at Crane's Pie Pantry in Fennville, Michigan a week or so back.  Uncommon is based in Saugatuck and has a little store right in their downtown.   She said it was tasty, so we'll probably buy more when we come across it.  They don't ship, so we'll just have to find it around Southwest Michigan on our trips up there. Whenever we head up to Saugatuck (which isn't super often...we're more of a St. Joe's-kinda-family!), we always make a stop there so Nat can get her fix. On the Uncommon site, they're now selling not this bottled stuff, but grounds to brew your own .  They also have an 8 step process listed for brewing your own cold brew here on their site . Nat has been making her own cold brew for a while now at home, but she doesn't have any of the equipment that they're specifying.  Wonder if we need to upgrade?  I'm not one to take on more uni-t

We were up at Crane's Orchard and Crane's Pie Pantry in Fennville Michigan recently to do some Honeycrisp picking and hard cider drinking and pie buying and the other fall-season what-have-yous. On our table at the Pie Pantry were a series of laminated vintage post cards that had been filled out and mailed with canceled one cent stamps.  This image above was on the back of one of them and I thought it was spot-on for our trip(s) to Coloma in the offseason (i.e. not during the summer!) Vacation Greetings: Everything is mighty fine, Water's sweet as any wine, There is no roar and bustle, Don't have to up and hustle, It's the rural life for mine!  

If you click on the photo of the building above you'll see the new sign above the door of this place that is *now* called "The Bainbridge Beverage Company".   You'll also notice the big dark(er) red Circle above the door that *used* to have the Grandpa's Cider Mill Logo.  You can see the circle Grandpa's logo here on their site . I covered Grandpa's Cider Mill before here on the blog, but we made a stop there yesterday when we were up in Coloma.  The Babe spoke up and said that she wanted to go to the 'Apple Cider Bar' where you can taste different flavors of cider.  We've done that trip a few times and always had a good time sidle'ing up to the bar where we can grab some stools and enjoy the experience. But...with the new name change to Bainbridge, it appears that they've expanded the bottling facility and moved the bar to a new location.  They've appeared to make this a much more professional facility with a lot of machine

This little spot is right at the exit ramp when you get into Coloma.  It is run by the same folks who run Jollay's Orchard and Grandpa's Cider Mill.  We stopped here on the way to pick some peaches and Nat picked up a (what she said was) tasty iced coffee and even (gasp!) a few apple cider donuts.  You loyal readers will remember that we covered our quest for 'off season' apple cider donuts back on the blog earlier this summer .  (what my baby wants, my baby gets, right Vince?!?)

Four years ago, I posted about these Donut Peaches that we picked at Jollay's in Coloma Michigan .  Today, we picked more peaches (and nectarines) but had to just 'buy' the Donut Peaches at the little store that Jollay's has set up.  There weren't any on the trees.  

When we were up in Michigan, one of the little traditions I have with the girls is an early morning trip to pick up some donuts and cups of ice.  We typically go to the Wesco gas station. But the last time we were in Coloma, Nat had the good idea for us to head out across the highway to Grandpa's Cider Mill where we have devoured apple cider donuts.  That usually happens in the fall and is coordinated with a trip to either Crane's or some other orchard for some picking. Grandpa's Cider Mill instead of the gas station? As Vince Vaughn said in "The Breakup" about lemons for the centerpiece:   What my baby wants, my baby gets. Thus....off we went.  Only to be 'Wally World'd' by this sign. Sorry folks.  No donuts for you.  Come back in August, September or October. We sulked back to the gas station and picked up a few long johns and apple fitters and went on our way.

Nat and the girls brought me back some vegan soap from their adventures in Michigan and this bar hits a soft spot in my heart.  First...it is a bar.  Have we talked about how I like/prefer bar soap?  I've been converted to the 'body wash' stuff by the body wash industrial complex - complete with the whole loofa things.    But I've always preferred bar soap in the shower.   And, Nat knows how to pick 'em.  A cadian Driftwood ?  One of my favorite songs from the band that was belted out by all the Canadians at The Last Waltz?  Don't mind if I do! Just check out this description and tell me you don't want to take a 'nude soapy' with this bar.  ( that 'nude soapy' reference is for those of you - who like me - spent your summers at Valley View Pool in Frankfort and snickered every time you saw the sign in the locker room that commanded you to take a 'nude soapy shower' before entering the pool... )

Learned something from the new restaurant up in Coloma last week.  (More on the restaurant in a different post). From the back of the beer menu (plus a few commas): Dickerville was the name for Coloma from approximately 1836 to 1850.  Coloma was called Shingle Diggins prior to Dickerville.  It was home to lumber mills that hand split more than one million shingles.  After the lumber was all gone, the industry died and most people moved on.  Money was no good there due to the lack of industry so one had to dicker (barter) for goods and services.  This is when  the town took on the identity of Dickerville.  In 1850, the town was to be added to a national registry and receive a post office.  Not wanting to be known nationally as Dickerville, they decided on Coloma after Coloma California.  

Hey....Nat can't complain about me cracking into this delicious bag of Bugles when we're up in Michigan, right?  I mean, it just *flat out* says that being a blogger grants me the right to devour these things. There are certain things that 'remind' me of being in Michigan.  They're usually foodstuffs Bugles lead the pack.

We made a stop at Redamak's in New Buffalo on the way home from the holiday weekend.   There are a few places we like to stop at on the way to Coloma including this place and Steve Dahl's recommendation of Stop 50 in Michiana Shores. I had a VERY tasty double cheeseburger.  I've tried the triple and it is just simply too much for me.  I also ordered my waffle fries 'well done' and they were pretty stinkin' good. Don't take it from me on the quality of Redamak's burgers, just look at A Hamburger Today when they say : "The cheeseburger at Redamak's is among the best on the planet."

When we were up in Coloma, we stopped at Silver Beach Pizza down in St. Joseph and I was surprised by the construction. They're expanding to add 70 new seats to the restaurant which will be a big help.  Not sure it is enough based on how popular this place is, but it should make the line move faster at checkin. I'm guessing they're aiming to have this new addition open and running for Memorial Day to hit the crowd surge they get during the summer.  We'll have to go back to check it out on our next trip to see the progress.

Hard to believe that the printers up in Coloma for the Friendly Tavern got it right once, but then just a few inches away, they messed up, isn't it?

We had a pretty incredible sunset earlier this year up in Michigan. Shot from Rocky Gap Park - which is technically - in Benton Harbor.  We hit up the park on the way to St. Joseph, so it is St. Joe's to us!

Whenever we are up in Michigan, we always take at least one morning and head into South Haven for breakfast at Cafe Julia.  Nat gets a coffee and sometimes a proper breakfast, but I always stick to the main attraction here:  the granola cookies. For the first time since I've been there, they had this little sign up detailing the ingredients.  Or...at least... *some* of the ingredients.  That had me thinking:  could we re-create these cookies at home? Sure enough, at least one baker has tried.   Therese at A Piece of Cake Kitchen has a recipe she says is "better" than the real thing. I think Nat will have to put this to the test.  I'm happy to be the taster.

Over the weekend, we went up to Michigan and were able to attend the annual Glad Peach Festival in town.  They had all the necessary elements to have a great fest:  a good theme (Peaches and Gladiolas!), a small town atmosphere, some fun events, and great weather. We even saw the crowning of Miss Coloma 2013!  The Babe loved that. I know A LOT of hard work goes into the production of the festival, but what is a fun time, could be an amazing festival, I think.  Start with upping the number and variety of peaches.  Where's the peaches?  And the gladiolas?  That's a start, I'd think.

We spent the weekend up in Michigan - and as usual - made a stop at the Great Lakes Antique Mall.  I really like the place because it doesn't have very much furniture and mostly focuses on 'smalls'.  There was a booth that still had some Christmas stuff up and had it marked at 50% off their list prices. The Mall is set up with a bunch of different booths with each one seemingly operated by a different vendor, so there is little room for negotiations.  The vendors of the booths aren't there in person typically. But, a 50% off Christmas sale?  I couldn't pass it up.  I saw this tall Santa planter and with a sub $10 sticker price, I had to bring him home.  He might be the tallest Santa we have now.  For less than five bucks, he'll be a great fit next to the rest of the vintage Santas.

We caught a pretty amazing sunset at Rocky Gap Park over the weekend.  In between the moans out of the backseat complaining about why we're not leaving, we enjoyed a nice quiet moment of reflection.

The last of our finds at the Great Lakes Antique Market on New Year's Day are these two matching choirboys.  Their price was just too good to pass them up.  Will they end up a gift next year?  Or in our decorations along with the other carol singers on the piano?